Up until my food crisis in 2007, I ate for convenience. I microwaved a lot and ate fast food. Post-food crisis, I wiped almost all processed food, working to eat better and cook more.

Neither affected my weight, my outlook, my energy or my body, as far as I could tell. I did notice that the few times I eat fast food, it made me a little queasy.

Because I now count calories and protein intake, I tend to stick to the easiest pattern possible. Most days, that’s a protein shake and either oatmeal with raisins or eggs and waffles for breakfast. I usually skip lunch. Dinner is whatever I can eat to hit the daily minimums as closely as possible.

What’s gone is snacking.

For 6 years, I followed a simple directive. Eat when hungry. If my body says eat, I eat. That led to snacking throughout the day: trail mix, peanuts, cereal, cheese, instant oatmeal. I would go through all of these staples quickly, so I kept plenty on hand at home and at the office.

This pattern worked. Instead of two or three big meals, I had six or seven snacks throughout the day. The most important goal was to keep my blood sugar at the right level so I could stay sharp.

Now, with a big breakfast, I’m simply not hungry till late in the day. No hunger, no snacking. Plus, I don’t want to measure out snacks every time to track the numbers. A jar of peanuts lasts and lasts and lasts. It’s protein- and calorie-rich, so I don’t need to screw up dinner later on because I’m too close to the “limit.”

Someday, I may go back to my carefree routine: Eat whenever and never measure. But I’m content with the numbers and their results, even if it means the end of snack time.